What to say to your kids after "The Last Jedi"

Families can talk about everything from strong female characters to the impact of media violence in "Star Wars"

December 24, 2017 1:00AM (UTC)

This article originally appeared on Common Sense Media.

Star Wars fans who are eager to catch up with Rey, Finn, Poe, and the other characters from The Force Awakens are sure to love Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi, which picks up right where the last movie left off. The epic middle installment of the current trilogy has thrilling sci-fi action, as well as several strong female characters, notable diversity within the Resistance, and strong messages of courage, teamwork, hope, and loyalty -- all of which gives families plenty to talk about. Try these topics/questions to get started:

Talk about the violence in Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi. Do scenes of explosions and space battles affect you differently than those of close-up, one-on-one lightsaber duels and killings? Why do you think that is? What makes more of an impact: violence or loss? Why? How does this movie handle both topics?

How is diversity -- and the lack thereof -- used to indicate the values of the opposing sides of the conflict in the Star Wars series? Why is it notable that the First Order has very little diversity, while the Republic has a lot of it?

Did you notice the strong female characters in the movie? How has the world of Star Wars changed in this respect since the original trilogy (or even the prequels)?

Talk about the themes from the previous movies that repeat themselves here. Why are issues of good vs. evil, mentorship, etc., so important to this series? How do they play out on-screen?